Transformers Prime: Child's Play
by BlackWolf219
Summary: An accident at base turns Jack into a five-year-old. Now the Autobots must take care of him for the next seven days. Suggestions on future chapters are welcome as long as they fit the category put down.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've got nothing to do today, so I thought I might make a story that's been eating at me for a while. This has nothing to do with ShadowStrike as you will soon find out.**

**Transformers Prime: Child's Play**

In the garage of her home, Nurse June Darby waited patiently for her son, Jackson to return from his usual visit to the Autobot base. Normally, he and his guardian, Arcee, were late because the femme was either out on a mission or something insane happened at base. If the latter, she hoped Jack was okay and was fully prepared to tear the 'Bots a new one if he wasn't. Miko would call that being an overprotective "helicopter mom", but that was the girl's opinion. Her thoughts were stirred by the bright light of the ground-bridge opening in the middle of her garage.

She held up a hand to block the light that blinded her so she could see as Arcee stepped through, looking rather uncomfortable. She was quick to notice the absence of her son, "Arcee, where's Jack?" Before the femme could answer, June felt something wrap out her legs and she struggled to keep her balance. Looking down, she came saw a small head with black hair nuzzling her lovingly. When the head looked up, two big blue eyes looked up at her.

"Mommy!" the young boy squealed happily as he tightened his grip on her.

June would know those eyes, that smile, and that voice, matter how young anywhere. Looking at Arcee in disbelief for a moment, June took a chance, "Jack, is that you?"

"Yup!" he giggled, "this is my new friend; 'Cee'Cee!" Were the situation not so bizarre, June would have been stifling a laugh at the use of the unique nickname for his guardian. Her motherly instincts kicking in, June knelt down and picked up her, at least five year old, son. He wrapped his small arms around her neck and nuzzled her again. Allowing the situation to sink in at last, June glared at the blue Autobot.

Normally, Arcee would return the glare if it were anyone else, but June had always managed to make her feel uneasy with that look. The femme avoided her gaze as she prepared for a verbal tongue-lashing. But June managed to keep her voice calm as to not upset Jack, "What happened?"

"I think it's better if Ratchet explained things to you," she said turning back to the still open ground-bridge, leading the woman and her son through. Upon entering the Autobot base, she was met by Optimus Prime, who dutifully stepped up to face whatever tirade was bubbling inside of June. Her eyes scanned for the medic, Ratchet, and landed on him over by the monitors, looking more sheepish than usual. Turning her gaze back to the Prime, she raised an eyebrow, awaiting an explanation.

"Mrs. Darby," the Prime spoke, "during an attempt to successfully replicate the Synthetic Energon formula, an accident occurred and Jack was unfortunately caught in the blast. Thankfully, he was unharmed, but as you can see, there were side-effects."

"What were you thinking testing something so dangerous with children around?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "And what about Miko and Raf?"

"Jack managed to push them back so they would not be affected as well," he replied. "Bulkhead and Bumblebee have taken them home for the time being."

"Why was I not called immediately after this happened?" she demanded, still cradling her son.

"I felt it best to wait to contact you until we determined Jack's mental state," Ratchet spoke. "He seems to have lost all his memories of us, Miko, Rafael, Agent Fowler, etc. I wanted to wait until morning to handle this, but he started to cry when he couldn't find you, so we sent him and Arcee to you r residence." June felt some slight warmth in her heart at the thought of her son wanting to see her so badly. It had been years since the two of them had been able to be this close without Jack feeling embarrassed. It had only gotten worse when he started spending time with the Autobots; she liked them, but she missed her son. Right now, she was between anger and worry; how long would Jack be like this?

"How long will these effects last?" she asked.

"By my estimations," the medic said. "Seven solar cycles, or a week."

"A week!" she gasped. "He has to go to school and he has a job! How am I going to explain him missing for a week?" June took notice of Jack no longer struggling in her grip as his tiny frame rose and fell with small breaths. From the sounds he was making, he was fast asleep and June didn't to risk waking him.

Optimus spoke again, "I believe it is best that you and Jack remain at our base for the time being. To avoid any suspicion, I will ask Agent Fowler to concoct a proper cover story for Jack's absence from school and his job."

June sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, "Fine. But don't think I'm not going to give you H-E-Double Hockey Sticks about this later. Now, where will we be staying?"

**Child's Play**

As Arcee walked June and Jack to their room, she snuck glances at her now tiny partner, worry and guilt evident in her spark. When Jack had been caught in the blast, she was so worried that she might have lost a third partner, that she made a promise with Primus to protect him with the all of her spark if he survived. It would seem he answered her prayers; albeit, with a shocking twist. Jack was approximately five-years-old and didn't remember a thing about them, about her. The thought of the memories they'd forged together, all the rides they'd taken together, everything they'd been through being gone was frightening to her.

Even if he did recover, would he still remember her or would be the first time they met all over again? Once he readjusted to this again, would he still want to be with them, with her? These thoughts racked her processor as she led the two of them to their temporary quarters. Finally stopping, she let them by as the door opened, too small for her to get through. She finally decided to speak for the first time since this whole ordeal began, "Are okay June?"

Rather than angry, the woman had a look of pure exhaustion on her face, "I'm fine, Arcee. It's just that… It was hard enough to raise Jack by myself the first time, but to do it again…"

"You not by yourself this time, June," the femme replied, determined. "Kid or not, I'm still Jack's guardian and I'll help you however way I can."

The nurse smiled, "Thank you Arcee." The femme returned the smile as she stood from her crouched position and left for her quarters. June looked around the room; it looked like a standard bedroom, complete with a bed. The sight of the furniture was enough to drain the energy from June's body as she walked over the bed and placed Jack on it. Removing her shoes and top coat, June crawled into bed with her boy covering them both and drifted off to sleep.

**Child's Play**

June was going over everything the Autobots needed to do to keep Jack out of trouble while she was at work. She was hesitant to leave her now five-year-old son in the care of five giant alien soldiers, but she didn't have much choice. Agent Fowler was married, so showing up with another woman's five-year-old was out of the question. And she didn't trust Miko to keep Jack out of trouble and Raf was a little too young. Besides, at the very least, Optimus would ensure that Jack was safe and Arcee was determined to protect her son no matter what.

"This is absurd!" Ratchet protested. "We are a highly advanced race of automatons! We were designed to fight and transform into vehicle modes. We've survived the destruction of our vey planet for Primus' sake!"

"Then taking care of a five-year-old should be simple," June retorted. "You made this bed, now you have to lie in it." With that, she left, leaving the Autobots with their now five-year-old charge, who was currently entertaining himself by playing with Arcee's servo. He grabbed at her slender fingers, laughing while he did so. The femme had to admit it was kind of cute and at least he was distracted. He moved her fingers around, as if trying to examine them.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead drove into base, Miko and Raf getting out of them so they could transform. The perky young Japanese girl noticed Jack and smiled, "So how'd helicopter mom take the news?"

"Better than expected considering we're all still functioning," Arcee said, her gaze never leaving Jack as he continued to play with her servo. "I thought for sure she was gonna dismantle Ratchet."

"Humph," the medic replied as he continued to work on monitors when they blared, indicating one thing, "Decepticons, they've hit an energon mine and are preparing to seize it."

"Lock on to the coordinates and activate the ground-bridge," Optimus ordered. The four 'Bots readied themselves for departure while Arcee left the young Jack with Miko and Raf. "Autobots, roll out!" The four Autobots shifted into vehicle form and sped through the vortex, leaving the medic to monitor the three children.

**Child's Play**

As the Autobots returned from a successful energon retrieval, they were met by the sight of Jack sitting in Miko's lap while she watched television. They were surprised by the fact that the girl had not followed them through the ground-bridge, but this was unexpected. She and Raf were watching Marvel's Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a show based on what they called a "comic book". They watched a robot flew around blasting everything while a giant green human began beating on other robots. Jack laughed happily at the sight, earning some concern from Arcee, who turned to her leader, "Should we be concerned by obvious like of violence?"

"I do not think Jack would attempt to mimic what he observing, even at such an impressionable age," Optimus replied. "Even young, I believe Jack still retains the same qualities that have made him a trusted ally." Arcee gave a small nod, but still looked concerned as she and the others began processing the energon they collected. Once done, Arcee walked over and relieved Miko of the five-year-old, to her relief as she complained.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: I intended for this to be a one-shot, but it might give me something to do when I get writer's block on one story. I hope you enjoyed and as for my other story, "Pheromone", since it is M-rated and contains explicit material (it's not by personal preference, just requests and all that), I won't be updating until I'm sure it won't be taken down. Any ideas for the next chapter would be nice. Category: Jack and Arcee spend some time together. Throw in your suggestions.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm glad for the feedback I've gotten on this little story of mine. I'll try to incorporate as much of your suggestions as possible.**

**Chapter 2**

As the Autobots went about their business, Jack continued to play with Arcee's servo, enamored by the appendage. Not that Arcee was complaining; as long as he was distracted, he wouldn't get into any trouble. Besides, it wasn't like the femme was doing anything of worth at the moment. The energon was processed and there was no sign of further Decepticon activity today. Still, she kept her guard up for anything that might happen.

"'Cee'Cee," Jack brought her out of her thoughts. "Wanna play a game?"

The femme tilted her head slightly, "What kind of game?"

"Hide n' Seek!" he replied.

"Okay, what's that?" she asked.

"Put your hands over your eyes and count to 30!" Rather than question, Arcee did as he asked and started to count to 30. She hoped no one would see her like this because an Autobot scout with her servos over her face looked silly. She thought about pausing for a moment to look up this "Hide and Seek" before continuing, but decided against it. Once she was done, she removed her servos and looked around for Jack.

"Jack?" she called, wondering where the young boy had gone, fear slightly gripping her. She received no answer from the boy, causing her to panic. "Jack!" She walked down the halls, making sure to watch her step with a five-year old running around. She ran into the command center and was me by Optimus.

"Is something wrong, Arcee," the mech rumbled.

"I can't find Jack," she said quickly, still looking around the area. "He asked me if I wanted to play a game, but when I opened my optics, he was gone!"

"Arcee, calm yourself," the Prime replied. "What game did Jack wish to play?"

"Something called Hide n' Seek," she replied, still looking. "Who knew humans knew magic. I counted to thirty and he was gone." She could already hear June yelling at her for losing her son after she promised to keep him safe. She would have suggested another game had she known just what she was getting herself into. Optimus was deep in thought, realization hitting him as to the nature of Jack's disappearance.

"Arcee," he called.

"Not now, I have to find Jack," she replied curtly.

"That is what I wish to-"

"Optimus, with all due respect, let me search for my partner and please don't distract me," the femme said while still looking. The Prime merely respected her wishes, somewhat amused by the eventual outcome of it all.

**Child's Play**

As Arcee continued to search for her missing partner, she was overcome by several emotions at once. She was angry with herself for allowing Jack out of her sight, even if he had asked her to. She was worried that he was probably in trouble, having no idea how to maneuver around the base. Most of all, she was feeling guilty that she let her pride keep her from calling June or accepting Optimus' help when he offered. She decided that it was best she swallow her pride and dialed the number for June's cell phone.

After a few rings, she picked up, "Hello?"

"June," the femme replied, "It's me."

"Arcee, is something wrong? Is Jack okay?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I can't find him!"

"WHAT!"

"I'm so sorry June, but we were playing a game and he told me to count to thirty and close my optics and-"

"What kind of game were you playing?" she growled out.

"Something called Hide and Seek," she replied. On the other line, there was nothing but silence until she heard the most unbelievable sound; June was laughing. Arcee was tempted to curse out the woman for laughing at when she should be worried about her son, but she was too shocked by it all. "Uhh, Are you okay, June?"

"I'm fine," she regained her composure. "Arcee, In Hide and Seek, one person hides and another, well 'seeks'. It's the point of the game. I'm sure if you'd gone to Optimus, he would have figured it out." That's when it hit the femme; she remembered Optimus trying to talk to her when she was looking for Jack but she brushed him off. He must have been trying to explain it to her, but she wouldn't listen thanks to her attitude. Right now, Arcee wanted nothing more than to go to her quarters and crawl under her berth, but she still had to find Jack.

"Thanks for the heads up, June," the femme replied. "See you later."

"Goodbye," the woman chuckled, hanging up. The femme went back on the hunt for her human partner, determined to find him now that she knew his life wasn't in any danger. She'd tear him a new one when she found him, that's for sure. She went back to the beginning of her search and thought about where Jack might have gone. It was only thirty seconds so he couldn't have gotten that far on foot.

She thought for a moment before her optics caught something rustling beneath the tarp. Kneeling down to lift it up, she was met by her target, "You found me!" The young boy started laughing uncontrollably, earning an exhausted smile from the femme. Jack was really lucky that he was so adorable right now or she'd tear him a new one for sure.

"I think Hide and Seek is a little to… crazy for us to play right now," the femme smiled. "How about I tell you a story?" The boy nodded, making a gesture to be picked up, which Arcee complied with as she began her story. She took into account the boy's age and made "adjustments" to the story. She told him of how she and her sister, Chromia and Elita-1 snuck into a Decepticon camp and rescued the prisoners. The whole time, the young boy's eyes sparkled with excitement at the tale.

Once she was done, he had a million questions for her, but one caught her attention, "Are your sisters as pretty as you?" Arcee's optics widened at the statement and the innocence in which it was said. She hadn't expected that kind of question, but she smiled nonetheless. Even at five years old, he was still a smooth operator.

**Child's Play**

Once she finally got Jack to settle down, he was much easier to deal with until he asked for something to eat. She looked up all the stuff five year olds eat, but she didn't expect it to be so bad for his teeth. She finally settled on some celery; thankfully, Jack knew where to get it. As he ate in silence, he asked another question, "Did Mommy tell you when Daddy was coming home?"

The femme tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"One day, Daddy left and Mommy was sad, but she told me he'd come home soon." Arcee looked down at the small boy in slight shock and pity. She'd been told by Jack herself that his father had abandoned him and his mother. She had no idea why June would lie to her son and give him such false hope. She'd give the nurse a piece of her mind once she got back, but noticed a certain Prime watching from the doorway.

Making sure Jack wouldn't run off, she got up and walked over to Optimus, who gave a rare smile watching the boy, "The young of Earth never cease to amaze, do they Arcee?"

"I guess not," she replied. "I'm guessing you overheard." He merely gave a nod in confirmation. "Then why are you so calm about this? She lied to Jack about his father and that's probably the reason why he gets so angry every time he's brought up."

"I do not believe it was Nurse Darby's intention to instill hatred in her son, but to spare him of such anger at a young age. Had she told Jack the truth, he would have lost the very innocence he displays at this moment. As his mother, she could not allow that and chose to reveal the truth to him later. Either way, Jackson would have still been left with feelings of anger and hostility."

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she understood what Optimus was saying to her; it was choice between sacrificing her son's youthful innocence or telling him at an age where he could handle it. She didn't agree with it one bit, but she understood the reason behind, thanks to her leader.

**Child's Play**

June finally returned from work and was ready to hit the hay, telling Jack it was time for bed. He complied, but before making another gesture for Arcee to pick him up. She did so and was met with his tiny lip on her metal cheek, "Night 'Cee'Cee." She set him down and he left for bed with is mother, leaving a smile on the femme's face.

"Smooth operator, indeed," she chuckled to herself.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: Any suggestions for the next chapter. Category: Miko and Bulkhead. I decided to do them together since I couldn't imagine Jack being left alone with either of them.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all of the suggestions :) I especially like a few, which will be used in this chapter.**

**Chapter 3**

June was going over the regular procedure with the Autobots about how to take care of Jack while she was at work. Her maternal side was aching that she had to be away from her son for so long, but she couldn't arouse suspicion by having them both disappear. Arcee and Bumblebee left on a scouting mission, leaving Jack with the Bulkhead and Miko. A small voice in the back of June's mind told her something bad might come out of this all, but she was in a hurry. "Make sure he doesn't eat anything unhealthy. I've spent years keeping him on strict diet and I would appreciate it if you upheld it."

"Yeah, yeah," Miko replied, uninterested. She couldn't believe she and Bulk were being stuck with babysitting duty. She had a lot of things planned today that didn't involve being stuck with a five-year old. June gave a sigh at the girl's lack of respect and interest, but decided to leave. She knelt down and gave Jack a kiss on the forehead.

"Be on your best behavior, Jack," she said with a smile.

"Okay," he replied, kissing his mommy's cheek before she departed, leaving him with Bulkhead and Miko. He looked up at the large Wrecker and smiled, "Bulky!"

"Hehe," the 'Bot laughed nervously. "So what do we do today?"

"Let's go dune-bashing!" Miko chirped.

"Sorry Miko, but Optimus told me not to do that while we're taking care of Jack," he replied. "He thinks it'll scare him." The girl's hair dropped and she pouted, dropping on the couch and switching on the TV. The bright screen immediately caught Jack's attention as he stared from the sofa. Bulkhead immediately sensed the tension in the room, knowing how much Miko loved to go dune-bashing. He decided to do something they would both enjoy, "How an old Wrecker war story?"

Miko immediately perked up, "Sure!" The Wrecker started to regale them with tales of his encounter with an Insecticon platoon. The Wrecker became animated when describing how vicious and frightening they were, much to Miko's awe. He took notice of the excitement in her eyes and began to tell even more stories, involving Scraplets, Tox-En, and even a Decepticon gladiator arena. Miko was happily listening as she held Jack in her lap, the boy staying silent the whole time.

When he was done, he was happy to have kept them both busy and killed a little time at once, seeing as Arcee and Bumblebee radioed in with a ground-bridge once he finished his last tale. The two entered base and Arcee quickly relived them both of Jack once they processed the energon. Bulkhead transformed, allowing Miko to enter so they could go dune-bashing like they planned.

**Child's Play**

Once the energon they recovered was processed, Arcee quickly relived Miko and Bulkhead of Jack and went to her quarters. She was rather happy spend time with him without having to wait for school or his job to be out of the way first. She noticed he was quieter than usual, but paid it no mind; if there was a problem, he'd tell her. She noticed how happy Miko was to be rid of the burden of having to take care of Jack, but paid it no mind; the girl had little sense of what responsibility was. Once she set Jack down on her berth, she noticed something.

He was shaking, his eyes shut tightly, trying to fight off tears. Something inside of Arcee immediately drove her to action, "Jack, what's wrong?" The boy merely shook his head in refusal of her question, so she tried again, "Come on, you can tell me, can't you?" He shook his head again, still trying to fight off the tears. She decided to get a little more stern, "Jackson Darby, don't you lie to me."

The boy sat on his rear and started to cry softly, sending a pang of built into the femme's spark. She hoped he wasn't upset that she raised her voice at him slightly, but she needed to find out what was wrong. Picking him up and holding him close to her chassis, she rubbed his back with her thumb, whispering soothing words to him. "Tell me, why are crying?"

"I-I-I c-c-can-can't," he whimpered.

"Why not?" she asked softly.

"C-C-Cau-cause I-I-I'm a b-b-bi-big b-b-boy," he continued to cry, sobs shaking his small body. Arcee gently rubbed his back and pressed him again for answer, finally getting them. She was both happy that she wasn't the cause of his crying and furious at the ones who were.

**Child's Play**

Bulkhead roared into base, his tires and underside covered in dirt, Miko happily climbing out of him so he could transform. Picking the girl up to perch her on his shoulder, they walked over to the television, wanting to catch the latest monster truck rally. As the observed the screen, they remained oblivious to figure behind them or the wrath she carried with her. A quick tap on Bulkhead's shoulder revealed the figure to be none other than Arcee, looking as irate as ever. Slightly taken back by the venomous glint in her optics, the Wrecker spoke, "Something wrong, 'Cee?"

"You could say that," she replied coolly. "I just spoke with Jack and he's really upset. I don't suppose either of you know why." The two partners exchanged confused glances and shrugged in unison, not knowing what to make of the two-wheeler's interrogation. She continued, "He told me a few of the stories you told him about the War."

"Yeah, they were awesome!" Miko grinned. "Bulk can really kick butt!"

"Apparently he can," Arcee agreed with malice in her voice, her optics narrowing. "So much so that it's scary."

"Huh?" the Wrecker looked dumbfounded.

"Your little War stories scared Jack so much, he cried. I had to put him down for recharge because he was so upset."

"He didn't look scared when I told the stories," the Wrecker defended sheepishly. "Why didn't he say anything?"

"Because he's a big boy," the femme replied, earning a look of confusion from the big lug. "He thinks big boys aren't supposed to be scared. That's why he didn't say anything."

"Apparently he's not big enough," Miko replied offhandedly, earning her a vicious glare from Arcee. The femme didn't look like she had any qualms about beating the scrap out of the girl at the moment. Miko suddenly felt smaller than she was compared to the Autobots, wanting to disappear at the moment. She grumbled, "Not our fault he can't take a scary story."

Before Arcee could unleash the cold fury burning in her on the girl, a new voice entered the fray, "Bulkhead, Arcee." Optimus Prime entered the room, his face as stoic as ever. "Do you mind if I borrow Miko for a moment?"

"Sure thing," the Wrecker said, surprised and grateful for his leader's intervention. Optimus extended his hand, allowing Miko to jump on and departed. The girl stayed silent as the titan carrying her walked towards the outside of the base. Miko shielded her eyes from the bright desert sun as Optimus reached his destination.

"What are we doing out here?" she asked. The Prime merely remained silent as he walked her over to a cliff where she could stand. Moving from the Prime's hand to the cliff, Miko watched him carefully as he looked at the girl with his deep blue optics. In them held the wisdom of a leader and the compassion lacking in most human beings nowadays. She also caught a hint of sadness in them, no doubt from the ever present mourning the Prime was in over the losses he suffered during the War.

She remembered her father telling her that blue was an expressive color; the most out of any of them. It could hold the most gentle of gazes and the harshest of glares. They could be innocent with youth or cold with the sight of war. This applied to Optimus most of all, the Prime rarely showing anything other than a stern, stoic, but comforting air. Finally, he broke the silence between them, "Miko, do you believe you did nothing wrong when you allowed Jack to listen to Bulkhead's tales?"

"Sure," she said, surprised by the uncertainty in her voice. "If Jack didn't want to listen, he should've said so."

"But did you ask him?"

"Well… no, but he still could have said something."

"Perhaps he did not think Bulkhead's stories would be told with such graphic detail," he rumbled. "When Arcee told him of a mission back on Cybertron, she reformatted several points to make it more appropriate for younger ears to listen."

"Why?" she asked. "We've seen just as much bas stuff as you guys did on Cybertron." The Prime took a moment to close his optics. If that were only true, he thought to himself.

"Miko, you still think of Jack as the sixteen year old boy you have come to know, correct?"

"Well yeah, "she nodded. "He is sixteen."

"Chronologically, yes," the Prime admitted. "But at this point in time, his mind and body are that of a five-year-old youngling. As such, he is not yet equipped to handle such visual representations of what the War did to our planet and to our people." Miko took a moment to let everything he said sink in; she figured that he had just lightly scolded her for what happened, but didn't understand.

"I don't get it," she said finally.

"Miko, did you want to take care of Jack today?" the Prime asked.

"Not… really," she answered sheepishly.

"Then why did you do it?"

"You said we had to," she replied.

"But had you asked me, I would have delegated Jack's care to someone else, even myself until Arcee returned."

"I didn't want you guys to think I was rude or something," she said.

"Perhaps that is why Jack remained silent during your story telling," the Prime said, his stoic features softening. "Before departing, June told her son to be on his best behavior. To him, that meant doing what other instructed him to do without complaint."

"So… you're saying this is really Helicopter Mom's fault?" she asked, trying to ease the tension to no avail. Optimus' face remained as stone faced as ever. "I guess I should apologize, huh?"

"That would be a wise decision and a welcome gesture of friendship," Optimus smiled, offering her his servo as transport back into base.

**Child's Play**

As they re-entered the base, Miko got to thinking about Arcee's reaction earlier; the femme looked like she wanted to skin the Asian girl alive. "Hey Optimus, why do you think Arcee got so mad at me and Bulk for letting Jack hear those stories?"

"Arcee has suffered much during this conflict," he replied regretfully. "The recent loss of Cliffjumper still hangs heavily on her spark. Thankfully, she was spared from falling into the same state of self-loathing melancholy by Jack's arrival. He has been there for her in way that most, even myself, cannot. She fiercely protects him with her spark and is willing to lay down her life for him, just as Bulkhead would do for you."

"Those two are close, aren't they?" she mused, thoughts shifting backwards in time. "I remember when I tried to get Jack to come back to all of this, but he wouldn't budge. The next day, I see him riding in on Arcee, looking as happy as ever. I think to myself, 'Hey, he actually listened," but that wasn't it was it?"

"The night Jack departed from out protection, I noticed Arcee deep in thought, having an internal battle with herself. The following morning, Ratchet informed me of her departure to Jasper, and I knew she was going there to talk with Jack. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw them both return."

"So you think the whole 'sisterly love' thing she's got going on right now is her way of protecting Jack?" The Prime gave a small nod in confirmation, allowing Miko to think as they neared Arcee's quarters. Once they arrived, Optimus gave a small knock on the door; moments later, it slid open to reveal Arcee. The femme immediately scowled at the sight of the human female, but allowed them to enter nonetheless. Optimus set her down on the berth, next to Jack.

"Hi Jack," she greeted nervously, her hand behind her head (a habit she picked up from watching Jack do it a lot). The boy merely stared at her, his big blue eyes making her uncomfortable. She took a breath, "I'm really sorry if Bulk's stories scared you. And I'm sorry for not asking if you were, but don't be mad at him. I'm the one he was trying to make happy since I was a little mad because we had to take care of you. I'm really, really sorry."

"Okay," the boy replied, slightly uninterested. Miko almost fell over at the innocence of his voice, not sure of what to make of it. She turned to Arcee and bowed.

"I'm really sorry for scaring Jack and not owing up to it. I hope you can forgive me. Next time I take care of him, I'll think of something fun we can both enjoy." She looked up to find the femme's scowl had disappeared, but the stern stare in her optics told her she was still far from forgiven.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," she replied, a slight smile on her face. Miko and Optimus left the room and the two in peace, Miko catching the sight of Jack showing her something he made, earning a big smile from the femme.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: I hoped you enjoyed. Next time: Bumblebee and Raf take care of Jack. What kind of antics can you think of them getting into. A special thanks to Foxbear for her suggestion.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I apologize for not updating this story for so long.**

**Chapter 4**

Bumblebee and Raf stood dutifully as Optimus informed them they would be looking after Jack while the others went on patrol. Miko was helping June at the hospital as "punishment" for scaring Jack, thought the Asian girl didn't seem to mind. Optimus had gently prodded Arcee to join them at base and trust Jack's safety to the others. Reluctantly, she agreed and had already followed Bulkhead through the ground-bridge. Ratchet monitored their progress as Optimus joined them.

This left the twelve-year-old and his guardian to watch over the five-year-old, who was currently occupying himself with the television. Raf racked his mind over what to do; he wanted to be something they could both enjoy, but wouldn't frighten Jack. There wasn't much a twelve-year-old and five-year-old could agree upon. They could agree on a television show that wasn't too violent; he seemed really interested in Spider-Man for some reason. At least he was distracted.

Raf took a seat by Jack, Bumblebee taking up the space behind them and observed them. He'd promised Arcee he'd keep Jack out of trouble, not wanting to risk her wrath. He loved her like a sister, but she could scary when she wanted to be, especially when it came to Jack. When the television show went to commercial, Jack took notice of them, "Raffy! 'Beebee!"

"Hey, Jack," Raf smiled sheepishly. "What do you want to do?"

"Play!" he smiled.

"Okay, what do you want to play?" Raf asked. Bumblebee chirped and whirred, Raf nodding in understanding, "Okay, what about a remote-control cars?"

"Okay!" he jumped off the couch and followed Raf to the floor, Bumblebee kneeling down. He opened his chest to reveal two toy cars and handed Raf and Jack their remotes. Jack drove the small toy car in circles while Raf moved his around, smiling at Jack's amusement. It was good thing most five-year-olds had a short attention span. As the Autobot watched over them, the alarm blared, Optimus' voice radioing in, "Bumblebee."

The scout stood dutifully, beeping and whirring in response, "We require your aid. Ground-Bridge yourself to these coordinates at once." Without another word, Bumblebee ran to the control panel and typed in the coordinates, the bridge cycling up. Once activated, Bumblebee ran towards it, transforming mid-run and disappearing through the bridge. Raf shielded his eyes from the bridges glowing light as it died down.

"Be careful 'Bee," he said to no one in particular. "What should we do now, Jack?" He turned to find no one there, "Jack?"

**Child's Play**

As Bumblebee emerged from the ground-bridge, he failed to notice a small toy car follow him as he sped towards the coordinates. Following the car, Jack stumbled out of the ground-bridge, his stomach suddenly hurting. He gave a small whine before the contents of his stomach spilled all over the ground. He sat on his bottom, rubbing his stomach while looking around; he wasn't in the Autobot base anymore. "Raffy?" he looked around, "'Beebee?"

The sound of blaster fire caught his attention and he got up and followed the sound to its source. Watching from behind a small rock, he saw the Autobots battling the Decepticons. He watched as they advanced on Arcee, the femme striking them down in a fluid motion. "'Cee'Cee!" he squealed happily, leaving his hiding spot to go to her. Along the way, he failed to notice several Vehicons falling to the 'Bots.

He was almost to her when Knock Out fell in front of him, shaking off the punch to the face he'd gotten from Bulkhead. He looked at the young human, raising an optic ridge, "What are you doing here, fleshling?" The boy merely stared as the red 'Con got on one knee, "Get lost, meat bag. You're gonna get yourself killed." The boy simply tilted his head before Knock Out sighed, pulling out his buzzsaw, causing Jack to stumble back, "See this? This will hurt you, so get back!"

Jack gave a small whimper, tears swelling in his eyes as he cried softly, earning a groan from Knock Out. Human sparklings were so annoying, "Look… I'm… Sorry?" The child ignored him, continuing to cry as Knock Out sighed, picking him up. "There, there," he mumbled, uninterested before walking to the femme, who'd just been knock back by a blast. Taking notice of him, she readied herself for fight as he extended his arm, "I think this belongs to you."

"Jack?" she gasped, quickly but gently taking the boy from him. "What did you do to him!"

Knock Out put his hands up in defense, "Don't get your wires in a twist, femme. I didn't hurt him. Besides, isn't keeping these little meat bags away from this part of the 'Autobot code'?" Arcee shot him an incredulous look before backing away from the battlefield and hiding behind a rock.

**Child's Play**

Once they returned to base, Optimus demanded an explanation, Raf and 'Bee standing shamefully before him. They offered their apologies for not keeping Jack away from the fighting and almost costing them precious energon. Arcee looked ready to berate them, but a sharp look from Optimus stopped her. The femme settled for taking Jack to her quarters and sitting the boy for a "timeout" as June suggested. He'd complied without complaint and sat in the corner, his shoulders slumped.

Arcee hated to see him like this, but June insisted they use "tough love" on Jack to keep him from doing something so wreckless again. The femme merely sat in silence, her optics shifting from Jack to the clock and vice versa. Never in all her lifetime had ten minutes gone by so agonizingly slow. This gave new meaning to the term "This hurts me more than hurts you." It seemed more like she was the one suffering rather than Jack.

But June said this was how it had to be and the femme wasn't going to argue with her on this, not after all she had to deal with since this whole thing started. Finally, ten minutes came and went, "Time's up, Jack." The boy removed himself from the corner and hugged her leg.

"I sorry," he replied, earning a small smile from the femme.

"It's okay, partner," she knelt down so he could give her a small hug.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Next time: Jack spends the day with Ratchet. Any suggestions?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Not a lot of people reviewing FlameWar recently; then again, school is starting soon, so most of us have to be prepared.**

**Chapter 5**

As the sun rose over the missile silo the Autobots called home, June Darby shifted in her bed, her eyes lazily opening. Curled up next to her was her son, Jack, reverted to a five-year-old both in body and mind. He nuzzled her gently in his sleep, earning a smile from the nurse. She doubted Jack remembered the early years of his youth (most children didn't) when he showed her such affection. Back then, it was acceptable for a child to be that way with their parent.

But as they got older, all it earned him was the ridicule of other children; children, one could suspect, who'd never received that kind of treatment from their own families. So, as Jack got older, the affection became scarce, but June didn't mind. It just meant he was growing up the way she had wanted him to. She was ashamed of her son for being, remotely, like every other teenager, sans a few qualities. But still, she was happy to return gesture by gently rubbing is back.

She glanced at the clock on the wall; it still early in the morning, meaning she had plenty of time to get ready for work. But she had always prided herself on being prepared, just in case the hospital needed her early on. Getting out of bed, she made Jack was comfortable before she left for the shower. After the shower, she changed into her scrubs and was met by a fully awake Jack sitting on her bed. He gently bounced on the bed, "Mommy go to work?"

She smiled, slightly disappointed, "I'm afraid so, sweetie. But don't worry, tomorrow's my day off, so it'll just be you and me." A big grin spread across his face as he stood on the bed and signaled he wanted a hug. She was more than happy to oblige him, scooping him off the bed and holding him tightly. He nuzzled against her happily and she simply smiled; tomorrow would be the last day before Jack was supposed to return to normal, so she'd spend some time with the young boy before that happened.

Now on to the issue of who would be looking after him today.

**Child's Play**

Ratchet stopped the work he was doing to face his leader, Optimus Prime, shock evident on his face. Surely, he had heard wrong, "I am sorry, could you repeat that."

The Prime slightly hesitated before repeating himself, "I said that due to our being needed elsewhere to aid Agent Fowler, you must bear the responsibility for Jack's well-being."

"That's what I thought you said," the medic groaned. "Why not have Arcee stay here and take care of Jack? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to."

"This assignment requires that all our warriors be present, and while you have proven yourself more than capable on several occasions," Optimus began. "But your expertise is that of a medic, which makes you a natural choice to look after Jack in the event he is harmed in any way."

'I doubt I'd be able to since June would dismantle us all if that happened,' he thought to himself. He looked to his leader, attempting to make one last plea, "I'm too busy to look after a human youngling, Optimus. I work with dangerous tools, use welders, and I planned to work on the synthetic energon formula today. Regular and dark energon are harmful to humans. Should we really test out that theory with the synthetic formual?"

"I am certain that you will allow no harm to befall Jack during your time as his guardian," the Prime's tone left no room for argument. The medic sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumping as he turned to the monitors to finish what he was working on. The Prime left him to his thoughts to gather the others, instructing Ratchet to activate the ground-bridge.

"Autobots, roll out!" as soon as that phrase was uttered, Ratchet knew he had no chance of getting out of this now. He didn't even bother to turn around, the shifting of their parts into vehicle mode filling his audio receptors. The sped off into the vortex just as it closed, leaving the medic to his unwanted task as June Darby carried it out with her.

She smiled at him, "Morning, Doctor." She received an unintelligible response before she continued. "I'm sure Optimus told you that you'd be looking after Jack today." The grimace on his face confirmed it, "I know you probably have a million things to do, but it won't be hard. Just keep him occupied with something, maybe some television, and you should be fine."

"Yes, yes…" he replied uninterested as the woman left her son on the couch, switching on the television before leaving. Now, Ratchet was stuck looking after the boy until everyone returned. And if their usual luck ran its course, it would be a long time.

**Child's Play**

Once the television show was on break, the boy turned to the medic, the biggest of smiles on his face, "Ratchy!" The medic couldn't help but cringe at the use of that ridiculous nickname. The boy seemed enjoy placing a "y" after most of their names. Ratchet merely ignored him and continued working, hoping the boy would find something that would keep him busy. His hopes were dashed when the boy called him again, "Ratchy!"

The medic sighed in irritation, "Yes?"

"What you doing?"

"Working on a _complex_ algorithm that may hold the key to unlocking synthetic energon, providing us with an infinite supply to use against the Decepticons." He glanced at the boy, slightly surprised when he found now look of confusion across his face. He expected that a human youngling's intellect was not as developed at that age. They couldn't all be like Rafael, now could they? He returned his attention to the formula at hand, savoring the quiet before the inevitable questions broke through.

"Why you no play with everybody?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Play?" he spared the boy another glance.

"With Oppie, 'Cee'Cee, 'Bee'Bee, or Bulky," he said as if it were obvious. "Why you not play with them?" It didn't take the medic long to realize the boy was referring to their battles with the Decepticons.

"Someone has to make sure they find their way home," he explained. "Besides, I'm not one for 'playing' until we have no other choice." The boy seemed satisfied with the answer, but another question prevented Ratchet from getting back to work.

"What that green stuff?" he pointed to the screen.

"Synthetic energon molecules," he replied, returning to work. The boy got off the couch and walked over to the kitchen, his stomach growling for food. Walking into the kitchen, he reached for the door to the fridge but couldn't get it. He grabbed a chair, pulling it from the counter to the fridge. Climbing on the chair, he pulled on the fridge door, managing to open it, causing the chair to fall over.

The chair rattled loudly against the floor as Jack fell over, laughing happily, unaware of the rapid footsteps approaching him. He Ratchet peered inside the kitchen, "Jack? Are you okay?"

"Yup," the boy giggled while on the floor, earning a snarl from Ratchet. He'd been working on a way to make things easier for the Autobots, and this boy was making things difficult for them. He wanted to yell at the boy, but a thought crossed his mind. Bulkhead had told him how he went to Arcee when he was scared and how the femme had reacted. If Jack told either Arcee or June, there'd be no place for the medic to hide.

One angry femme was bad enough, but two… He didn't even want to think about it, so he scooped Jack up and placed him on the couch. "Jack, I am working on a _very important_ formula which will make our 'game' a lot easier to play. If I can't, then Arcee will get hurt."

"'Cee'Cee get hurt?" Jack's eyes widened in horror.

"Yes, but this formula will make easier for her to get better," Ratchet stifled a laugh. "So I need you to stay put unless you have to go to the bathroom, okay?"

The boy nodded eagerly, placing his finger to his lips, "Shhh!" Ratchet gave a small chuckle before returning to his work.

**Child's Play**

It had been a good hour since Jack had made any noise and Ratchet had made real progress with the synthetic energon formula. The others hadn't contacted base yet, so their mission must still be going on. The medic was going over some virtual trials with the formula and he realized he would need to get some of his tools from the supply room. He turned to inform the boy, "Jack, I-" He stopped when he realized the boy was gone.

He couldn't believe this! All he did was ask the boy to be quiet, not go gallivanting around the base; there was dangerous equipment in here. What if he damaged an energon pipeline or what if he electrocuted himself? June and Arcee would have his hide on silver platter if that happened. But he was so close to cracking the formula; he couldn't risk the Earth tech malfunctioning and all of his work getting lost.

The medic racked his mind, unsure of what to do, but ultimately decided on grabbing his tools from the supply room. The boy had probably just gone to the bathroom and forgotten to tell him, that's all. And it wasn't like there was that much to be lost; most of the tech didn't even work anyway. But… there was still the matter of what the nurse and two-wheeler might do if Jack was hurt on Ratchet's watch. Arcee wouldn't hesitate to beat the medic within an inch of his life and June could do her fair share of damage if she put her mind to it.

The medic decided that after finding his tool, he'd go in search for Jack. Entering the supply room, Ratchet heard small grunts from around the corner. Peering around, he noticed Jack pulling on a tool. Relief and irritation filled the medic as he reached down to pick up Jack and the tool, examining it for a minute, "I need this." He looked over to find the boy smiling at him.

"Maybe it's not so bad after all," the medic returned the smile, somewhat awkwardly.

**Child's Play**

Several hours passed when June returned to base with Miko and Raf, the trio surprised to find Ratchet entertaining Jack with a story having to do with Polihex. The nurse couldn't help but smile at the interest her son was showing while Miko and Raf went about their usual business. The festivities were interrupted when Bulkhead radioed for a ground-bridge. Once opened, the Wrecker, with the help of Bumblebee, helped Optimus through the bridge.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Next time: June and Optimus spend time with Jack. I hope you enjoyed.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I never expected such a reception for this story. Thanks to all of you who've reviewed, favorited, and are following this story.**

**Chapter 6**

As Ratchet directed the Wrecker and Scout to help their Prime into med bay, he questioned them on what had occurred. According to Bulkhead, Their mission was going along on schedule when the Decepticons showed, intent on taking whatever weapon they were helping protect. A battle ensued and Dreadwing attempted to destroy the human convoy with one of his explosives, forcing Optimus to intervene. He'd managed to keep the blast radius far from the humans, but was injured as a result. Once the two 'Bot set him down on med bay, they were forced to excuse themselves and return to the mission.

The medic ran a scan over Optimus' still form, checking everything from motor functions to subroutines. The results showed the damage appeared worse than it actually was. A few hours bed rest would have Optimus in top form again. But that didn't appear to quell the human youngling near tears in the arms of his mother. June turned Jack to face, "Honey, what's wrong? Optimus is going to be okay?"

"M-M-My fault," the boy whimpered. "I m-m-mo-moved." At this, Ratchet immediately, his mind replaying the memory of what he'd told Jack. But he was talking about Arcee, not Optimus! He glanced up at the ceiling; Primus must be having a field day with this. He was lost in thought and did not register the dark aura emitting from the woman holding the small child.

"Ratchet…" the low growl brought the medic out of his pondering as he slowly turned to meet the deadly glare of the nurse. Before she could contact Agent Fowler to see how she could learn how to dismantle machinery, a low groan caught their attention. Muttering a quick "thank you" to Primus, Ratchet immediately appeared at Optimus' side, placing a servo on his shoulder.

"Easy, old friend," the medic ran another scan over him, "You were hit pretty hard. You need rest." 'And I need something to distract the femme in the corner ready to tear me apart.' He spared a glance at June to find her anger replaced with concern. She adjusted her son in her grip so he could see Optimus had regained consciousness.

"See, Jack," she smiled. "Optimus is fine. You did nothing wrong." The Prime looked confused for a moment before a nod from Ratchet gave him confirmation.

"Your concern in appreciated, Jackson," he rumbled. "But I am fine, so you needn't worry yourself." The boy still looked unconvinced, so June brought him closer and he gently hugged the Prime's massive leg. At this, Optimus felt a slight surge run through his body, along with an unfamiliar feeling. A feeling of content that made the Prime uncomfortable, having never experienced something akin to this before. Before he could question further, June gently removed her son and he wrapped his arms around her neck as she cradled him.

"I think we'll wait outside," she smiled at Optimus, sparing a slight glare at Ratchet before leaving. "You and I have some 'medical skills' to discuss later, Doctor." Once she left, Ratchet released a breath of air he didn't need, returning to his work while Optimus seemed confused.

**Child's Play**

Arcee and the others had returned from their mission, having successfully transported the device to its location. After reporting to their Prime and inquiring into his condition, they went about their usual activities with their human charges. Ratchet had surprisingly closed of med bay when Arcee returned to see him regarding something he had told Jack. But he quickly sent her away, but the look on her face told him it was far from over. Meanwhile, Optimus continued to ponder the odd sensation he felt from Jack earlier.

The boy had admittedly always been unique in the Prime's optic, reminding him so much of the data clerk who would become a Prime, Orion Pax. From the moment he'd met Jack, Optimus immediately noticed something different about the boy. There was a sense of wonder in his gaze, but not to extent Miko and Rafael showed. He was nervous speak up, not wanting to offend the Autobots in anyway, even hesitating when they returned from a failed attempt to recover Cliffjumper. In Jack's eyes was a doubt that he could be of any help to them, unaware of how much they would come to rely on the human.

If he recalled correctly, that was the first time either of them had shared any form of physical contact. Perhaps he should ask Arcee about the matter because he felt no surge when he allowed Agent Fowler to use him as transportation for the D.N.G.S. The feeling that surged through Optimus stopped at the Matrix of Leadership, as if telling him he'd found the next Prime. The only surprise Optimus found was immediate surge itself. Jack had long since proven himself worthy of the title, even if he himself denied it as much as Optimus had when he was chosen.

Even now, the Prime did not believe himself worthy, but there was no doubt in his mind that Jack was as well. Soft footsteps brought him out his pondering to face June Darby, the nurse having changed into a pair of light blue pajamas that resembled her scrubs. Her hair was freed from its usual ponytail, reaching down to the small of her back. She smiled at the Prime, "How are you feeling, Optimus?"

"I am fine, Nurse Darby," he replied.

The woman chuckled, "We've known each other a while now. I think it's safe for you to call me June." She saw the faintest glimpse of surprise in the Prime's optics before she continued, her cheeks tinting with a slight pink. "I was just wondering if you would be willing to spend time with Jack and me tomorrow. I think he'd really like that."

The surprise was more evident now, "I do not-"

"I mean, you're the only one here who hasn't spent any time with Jack," she interrupted. "You avoid him like he's the plague. I don't think it would hurt that much if you spent a little time doing something other than being leader of the Autobots, don't you?"

Optimus considered her words for a brief moment, "… Perhaps... But it would require that I be away from base for longer than necessary and place you and Jack in danger."

"Not unless we bridge you to your intended destination," Ratchet reminded them both of his presence. "I think it might help recover better if you weren't surrounded by all this medical equipment. As your Chief Medical Officer, I am asserting my rank and ordering that you take some time to 'smell the roses' as the humans say."

**Child's Play**

In the middle of a deserted military installation known as Diego Garcia, a ground-bridge vortex opened, a red and blue semi driving out of the portal as it closed. Opening its doors, a Nurse wearing a one piece bathing suit beneath a t-shirt stepped out, a young boy wearing red trunks in her arms. Placing him on the ground, she pulled out a small basket and some beach towels. Once emptied, the red and blue semi assumed its robotic form of Optimus Prime, glancing down at the two humans. June put her sunglasses on to block the gleam of his armor in the sunlight, taking time to admire its beauty.

She remember Jack always telling her how beautiful Arcee looked in the sunlight when it late in the afternoon and the sun was setting. Unfolding her beach chair, June took a seat to watch her son play in the water, making sure he didn't go too far. She felt the ground shift beneath her as Optimus joined her. She looked up at him and smiled, "Where did you find this place?"

"When we first arrived on Earth, I felt it best that we have an auxiliary base should the Decepticons ever discover the location of our current home. The military mentioned this island had been decommissioned and would serve our uses well. We have already stored much needed energon and technology here for safekeeping."

"Should I be worried about why this island was decommissioned in the first place?" she gave him a look from behind her shades.

"Do not be concerned, Nur- June," he replied. "I am told the reason for the decommissioning was in no way related to anything harmful to human. I double checked once Jack, Miko, and Rafael, were placed under our care." She nodded and returned to her watching her son play in the water, her maternal instincts on alert for anything harmful.

Jack splashed around in the water as pushed and pulled against the beach, laughing a dived out of view into the ocean. June couldn't help the hitch of her breath until Jack resurfaced moments later. Her heartbeat returned to normal as she watched her son in the water, a slight smile on her face. She glanced at Optimus, who was also smiling at the sight. Biting her lip, she risked a question, "Optimus, have you ever had children?"

The Prime turned to her, an optic ridge raised at her question, "Why do you ask?"

"It's just, you tend to avoid the children unless you have to explain something to them or ask them for help on your missions. I was just wondering why that is. Is it because you… lost a child of your own during the war?"

"No," Optimus replied, thinking back to the terrible War and all that had been lost. "Being a Prime, my primary concern was the survival of the remaining Autobots on Cybertron, so I did not have the time to even ponder offspring, but there was one whom I would consider a proper sparkmate."

"Who?"

"Her name was Elita-One," he explained sadly. "Before I was named Prime, she and I had met in the Halls of Iacon. She was the first person since Ratchet, Megatron, or any other that I had a connection with. She and I remained together even after the War and my transition to Prime."

"What happened?"

"During the Great Exodus, our battalion was attacked. We would have been wiped out had Elita not sacrificed herself to buy us the time necessary to escape to the Ark. I still wonder if I made the right choice in abandoning her rather than staying by her side." Once Optimus had finished, June felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall.

"I can't tell you for certain whether or not you did the right thing," she wiped away the tears. "But what do you think she would have wanted you to do?"

"I often tell myself that she would have wanted me to lead the Autobots onward against the Decepticon threat, but I wonder whether or not she truly felt that way."

"I think she would be proud of the leader you've become," June smiled at him.

Optimus turned to the woman and smiled, "Thank you."

**Child's Play**

Night fell over the beach as Jack and June changed into civilian clothing, watching the stars appear in the night sky. The young boy shifted in his mother's grip, yawning tiredly. June did the same before she heard the shifting of metal, glancing at Optimus, now in vehicle mode, "I believe best that you and Jack take refuge inside of my vehicular form for the time being."

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable," she protested. "I can't be easy to sleep like that."

"Transformation is as natural to us as breathing is to humans," the Prime replied. "I will be fine." Without further argument, June entered Optimus' vehicle mode, the door shutting behind her. The seat in front of her was reclined back to resemble a bed and she smiled.

"Thank you," she replied as she laid down, covering herself and Jack with a blanket as she let sleep overcome her.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Next time: Jack is returned to normal. How will he react to everything that's happened?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The last chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and favs, I hope you all enjoyed.**

**Chapter 7**

Sunlight shone over the small island beach on Diego Garcia, a lone red and blue semi sitting on the beach. Within its confines, a middle aged nurse stirred from her slumber, sitting up in the reclined chair. Shaking away her dizziness, June Darby stretched before realizing the familiar weight of her son was gone. Glancing around, her eyes stopped on the still form on the floor, sleeping gently. Jack was back to his rightful age of sixteen, his body having grown back. Lucky for the sleeping boy, the trunks he was wearing had also grown with him.

June figured that Jack must have returned to normal during the night, which must have been an interesting episode when he found himself in her lap. No doubt he chose to let her sleep while taking up space on the floor. Sometimes, the boy was too considerate for his own good, but that's why she loved her son. The chair rose to meet her back and the engine started, meaning Optimus had woken up as well. Jack was stirred from his slumber and got up, stretching his limbs.

"Morning you two, sleep well?" she smiled. She expected Jack to be confused about what was happening, but what she saw was just as good. Her son's cheeks were as red as Optimus' armor. June stifled a laugh, earning a frown from her son. "I'm guessing you remember?"

"It's not funny," he replied.

"It's pretty funny," she giggled. "You looked so cute playing in the water yesterday and now you're sitting in Optimus' vehicle mode in nothing but swim trunks. Not to mention all the chaos you caused at base." Jack's eyes widened and his blush darkened when several memories flooded his mind at once. Scrap! Why him! Why was it always him?

"I'm not going to wanna show my face at base for a while," he sighed, taking the driver's seat. He placed his face in his hands, "What did I do?"

"Liven up the lives of five Autobots with childish antics that would put Miko to shame?" June teased, earning a groan. "Calm down, it shouldn't be that bad. I doubt Ratchet will want to talk about it, Rafael and Bumblebee shouldn't give you too much trouble, and Bulkhead's not like Miko. So the most you have to worry about are Miko and Arcee."

"Ugh," he groaned, realizing what was in store for him. Miko would never let him live this down and Arcee… Oh God, he couldn't believe that he actually kissed her. Sure it was on the cheek, but still! His face was redder than it had ever been in his life, probably anybody's life.

The ground-bridge opened and Optimus drove through, returning them to the Autobot base, thankfully bare of any occupants other than Ratchet. June and Jack stepped out so Optimus could transform and converse with Ratchet. As June predicted, Ratchet gave no mention to Jack's being back to normal as June led her son to the room they'd been occupying. Gathering her things, they got in her car and left for home.

**Child's Play**

The drive back to Jasper was the quietest the mother and son had ever known, but neither knew what to say. All joking aside, June was happy that Jack was back to normal, but her maternal instincts couldn't help but mourn over the lack of time she'd spent with him. Her profession required her to be away from him during his actual childhood as well, and she still regretted it. She glanced at Jack, the raven-haired teen staring out the window. She patted him on the back supportively as they finally arrived in town.

The drive back home was short as they exited the car, making sure none of their neighbors were awake, and headed inside. Jack sat on the couch, his hands back over his face, sighing again at what he would have to deal with tomorrow. Better to face it sooner than later, though. June sat next to him and sat in awkward silence. The nurse tried to speak, but could think of nothing to say. Jack caught the sadness in her eyes.

That had barely been able to spend time together during this whole ordeal thanks to her job, only able to be together on the last day of his de-aging. No doubt it reminded her of how his childhood was after his father left. Jack remembered often lonely nights under the care of their neighbors, waiting to see if his mother had come home. Most times, he missed her completely, a meal ready to eat the only sign of her presence. This ordeal must have only made her feel like a terrible mother.

"You know, this whole thing, as embarrassing as it has been, reminded me of something," Jack spoke. "You and I should probably head out to amusement park in the next town over next weekend." Without another word, he got and went to his room, glancing to see a smile on his mother's face.

**Child's Play**

When Jack arrived at base the next day, there was an awkward silence before Miko made a remark, earning a few laughs from Raf, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead. Jack decided it would be better to let the girl get the jokes (however many there were) out of her system. He refused to even look at Arcee, too embarrassed by what he'd done to risk further embarrassment. He could feel the femme's optics on him, but he did his best to ignore it. He tried to focus on something else, but nothing worked as Miko gave her latest jab.

"Hey Bulk," she giggled. "Why don't you tell us one of your Wrecker stories? Sorry, Jack this might too _mature_ for you."

"Funny," he grumbled, wanting to disappear at this very moment. The girl's jabbing continued until Bulkhead suggested they go see the monster truck rally in town. Jack gave the Wrecker a grateful look before turning to Ratchet, "Thanks."

"For what?" he replied, not turning away from his work.

"For… well… uhm…"

"Well?" he turned to glare at the boy.

"Thanks for 'taking care of me' and not bringing it up afterwards," he rubbed the back of his head, cheeks red once again. The medic was taken aback a moment before he returned to his work.

"You're welcome."

"Same goes for you and 'Bee," he turned to Raf, "Thanks." Raf smiled and nodded before returning to his game with 'Bee. There were just two more people he needed to thank, but both situations would prove to be awkward. He chose latter over the former, sine the former involved his partner.

**Child's Play**

In his quarters, Optimus Prime sorted through the data of this month's mission report, being sure to leave out any of Jack's involvement. He opted to do this as opposed to remain at the command center and listen to Miko's mockery of the boy's situation. While admittedly humorous, Optimus found no joy from Jack's embarrassment. The boy had done too much to earn Optimus' respect to be mocked for an accident that was their fault. Still, there was another reason.

He remembered June's asking about children and his recounting of Elita-One's death yesterday while watching Jack. He couldn't help the odd sensation emanating from his spark as he contemplated the moment. It was almost as if Optimus had made a small family of his own outside the Autobots. The feelings in his spark were odd, some foreign, some not. Thinking about yesterday made them return and confuse Optimus even more.

As natural as these feelings felt, Optimus had to cast them aside to ensure the Autobot's victory against Megatron and the Decepticons. Then perhaps, if he survived the conflict, he may be able to sort out these emotions inside of him. The sounds of footsteps drew his attention as Jack entered his quarters, looking as sheepish as ever. The boy managed a lopsided smile, "Hey, Optimus, how are you?"

"I am fine," he replied. "And yourself, Jackson?"

"Fine, all things considered," he laughed a bit. Optimus gave a small smile. "I just wanted to say thanks for looking after me."

"You needn't thank me. The others did far more than I."

"I know, but you still helped me, so thanks. Now, I've got someone else to talk to."

**Child's Play**

Jack left Optimus' quarters to head for the hall where Arcee's were located, his stomach in a tight knot. He couldn't help but think about how innocently he had kissed Arcee on the cheek. She smiled, but it was still embarrassing. They loved each other, but weren't necessarily "in love" with each other. And this just made things seem awkward, maybe more so for him than her, but still.

When he found himself in front of her door, he took a deep breath before using the small key pad to open the door. He hoped she'd decided to take a nap or something so he could come back later, but no such luck. She was sitting on her berth, knees curled up to her chest as she sorted through her own mission report. She took notice of his presence and smiled, a gesture he returned.

"Hey," he replied, hand on the back of his head again.

"Hey," she replied.

"Look, I just wanted to say thanks for taking care of me during this whole thing and I'm sorry and-"

"What are you sorry for?" she asked, swinging her legs over the berth's edge. Jack walked over to her and she helped him up. He sat against her legs before continuing.

"You know, about… kissing you."

"You didn't like it?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean… I'm sorry. It was just… a little embarrassing for me,okay."

"I know, partner," she smiled. "You didn't offend me if that's what you're worried about. Besides, you were pretty cute as a youngling. But if it makes you feel better-" She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, stunning the boy. "We're even now."

"Thanks," he smiled awkwardly. "I just hope nothing like this ever happens again." Before Arcee could agree, an explosion resonated through base.

"Miko!" Bulkhead screamed.

"Uh oh," Arcee glanced at Jack.

"Scrap," he sighed.

**Child's Play**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for sticking with me through yet another ride.**


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